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Leonberger

The Leonberger is a large, imposing, strong and muscular dog. The powerful head
shows much grace and is carried proudly. The skull is slightly domed, though not
as domed or as wide as the St. Bernard's. The cheekbones are lean. The muzzle is
fairly deep with tight jowls and no flews. This breed does not drool. The point
of the muzzle is jet-black and the lips must have full black pigmentation. The bridge
of the nose is Roman with a moderate stop. The ears are well-rounded, medium in
length and drop close to the head. The teeth should meet in a scissor bite. The
eyes are light to dark brown. The neck is clean and well-set and the chest is deep.
The back is strong and straight and the loin is powerful. The feet are moderate,
round, tight and webbed. Dewclaws should be removed. The tail is well feathered
and bushy. The long coat is close lying to the body and not too wavy. It is never
curly. The Leonberger was bred to be the color of a lion. They are golden-yellow
to red-brown with a black or dark mask.

Temperament

The Leonberger is a gentle giant. They are calm, friendly and love to be around
children. They are often called the "nanny" dog because of their love of children.
They love the water and their webbed feet make them excellent swimmers. Though playful,
this breed is also quiet. They are protective of their families and are excellent
watchdogs. Their threatening size makes them good guard dogs. They make great therapy
dogs as well as water rescue dogs. This dog is easy to train. Obedience should begin
early before his later, larger years. Though large in size, they can run agility
courses well.

The Leonberger is the symbol of pride for the town of Leonberg in Germany. In the
1840, the Mayor of Leonberg wanted to create a dog that strongly resembled the lion
that appeared on the Imperial Coat of Arms in the Town Hall of Leonberg. He crossed
the Newfoundland, Landseer, St. Bernard and the Pyrenean Mountain Dog. Following
the World Wars, the Leonberger had only 5 remaining survivors. Through careful nurturing
and careful breeding, the Leonberger is well on its way back. It took 25 years for
the breed to be stable in number again and it is still considered quite rare today.
Though they resemble the St. Bernard, they are a distinct different breed. This
breed was featured in the movie "The Call of the Wild, Dog of the Yukon" in 1997.
The Leonberger is recognized by the FCI, the UKC and recently by AKC.